Condemned
by White Rabbit Tale
Summary: Sano's daughter, Jintoko, has found the perfect man. The only problem is, Daddy doesn't approve. But maybe Megumi can help her husband accept their daugheter's newfound happiness...


Disclaimer: Wonderful Nobuhiro Watsuki owns the rights to Rurouni Kenshin. I'm just borrowing, like so many people do.

A/N: This is somewhat of a second generation fic, meaning it deals with the children of our characters. And yet, somehow it comes back to Sano and Megumi. So it is, in essence, a Sano/Megumi fic, and it sort of deals with how they relate to their child.

I mainly wrote this because I feel a little guilty that I didn't put much Sano/Megumi-ness into _Digging Up a Buried Path. _They've always had somewhat minor roles in my fanfics, and for that I bring you this.

Another reason is because Iam eventually going to have a collection ofsecond generationfics, but this wasthe first one thatI got, so please enjoy!

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_"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana_

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"Ooh! Look over there!" Sagara Jintoko exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a vendor selling elaborate fans and parasols.

Fujita Saburo laughed appreciatively. Jin was never one to act like a little girl, but somehow, around him, that's exactly what she did.

"Do you want one?" he asked, anticipating her answer.

Jin stared at him. "Baka!" she yelled. "Just because you're so rich doesn't mean you have to show off!" she pouted.

"He-ey…" Saburo crooned. "I wasn't showing off!" he protested, even though he knew that was exactly what he was doing. Saburo was normally a very modest guy, but some part of him always wanted to show off to Jin. He supposed it was only natural, that's how it was in courtship. But there was also a certain, intimidating quality to Jin and despite Saburo's eight years' seniority over her, he had felt from the moment he'd laid eyes on her that she was somewhat, well, unapproachable.

"Whatever," Jin replied, melting back into her cool-cat persona. She glanced around. "I'd better get going, you know."

Saburo quickly glanced around as well. "What, do you see—?"

Jin tugged on the neck of his hakama, forcing him to look back at her. "Don't be so obvious!" she admonished. "Daddy's nowhere near here; he had something to do with his associates." Sanosuke was co-president of a small textile corporation, a job that he mostly disliked aside from the fact that it brought in good money. Shinomori Aoshi, the president of the company, had offered Sano the job after Hideaki, Jin's younger brother, had been born.

The job made it a little boring at the dinner table sometimes, Jin conceded, but it helped her keep Saburo a secret.

Saburo suddenly looked reproachful. He gently tucked a strand of Jin's hair behind her ear. "You know, Jin, we really have to stop sneaking around like this."

Jin tried her best to look affronted. "We aren't sneaking!" she asserted. "There is _nothing _about this that I am ashamed of—oh, quick get behind that cart!"

Even to her own ears, Jin felt like she could not have sounded like a bigger hypocrite.

Instead of lunging out of sight, Saburo dropped Jin's hand and walked away. He turned around once to give her a fleeting glance that told her he wasn't mad and hoped to see her again the next day.

Jin nodded, partly to herself, and stepped across the street toward the parasol and fan vendor.

"Jin-chan," a voice breathed into her ear.

Jin spun around. "I knew it," she muttered under her breath. "Hi, Yuka-chan."

The light-haired girl smiled pleasantly. "What have you been doing today?"

It might have just been her imagination, but to Jin it sounded like Yuka was accusing her of something. She shook her head. She had a perfectly reasonable explanation to be out and about.

"Oh, you know, Megumi ran out of supplies again," Jin said, bringing her bag into view and waving it. "Just had to stop by the apothecary."

Yuka frowned. Jin knew that her younger friend always thought it odd that she referred to her mother by her name.

"What about you?" Jin asked, for conversation's sake.

Yuka lifted a yellow parasol into view. "The same. Had to pick up props for Okaa-san. Daddy assured me it was an _emergency._" If Yuka hadn't been so well mannered, Jin suspected she would have rolled her eyes.

'Emergencies' in the Himura household could be anything from cracked skulls to 'the wrong color chopsticks.' Himura Naruku, Yuka's mother, directed kabuki plays that her husband, Kenshin, had written about his and others' lives. Yuka was constantly helping out with her parents' business even though she was not required to do so. Etsuko, Yuka's boisterous younger sister, and Kenta, their brother, had gotten off their whole lives without lending a hand.

Jin was shaken from her thoughts when Yuka put a delicate hand on her shoulder. "Is there something you want to…talk about?" she asked uncertainly.

"What? Oh, no," Jin replied hurriedly.

"Who was that—" Yuka bit her lip. She was torn between wanting to help Jin and keeping out of things. "Never mind," she murmured after a few moments of thick silence. Yuka had a penchant for shying away from people and situations that caused trouble.

Since the two girls were fairly good friends, Jin didn't feel right just leaving. She replied patiently as Yuka made small talk.

"So Ume-chan and Kenta are getting married soon," she was saying. "I'm so excited. Gi-kun will be back from the mountains and even the Seta boys will come!" There was nothing that Yuka liked better than having all her friends grouped together. She was so sociable that Jin felt awkward for being such a loner sometimes. She flushed when she thought of Saburo and how comfortable and natural she always felt around him, from the day they had met.

"How is Gijou-kun?" Jin asked politely. Gi was Yuka's very best friend; they had known each other since before Yuka was born. From the moment Yuka had learned to walk at the age of two (Gi was around seven at the time) Yuka and Gi had been nearly inseparable. Although, Jin had heard that Gijou left a few months back, searching for what remained of his family.

"Oh, he writes," Yuka said brightly. "Says he fine, and mostly I believe him." There was something desolate in her honey-brown eyes, but she quickly brightened up again. "So I'll see you tomorrow night for the One-acts, right?" she asked, beginning to make her exit.

"Yeah," Jin replied faintly. "Megumi's been excited about going. She says she hopes some will be funny—Mr. Himura's writing can be awfully depressing."

Yuka laughed appreciatively and the two parted ways.

Jin walked the whole way home, not even realizing she was humming until she reached her doorway. She paused, thinking about how close she had come to kissing Saburo the previous day and blushed deeply, an action that was entirely uncharacteristic of her.

"Enjoyed yourself today, did you?" her father's voice boomed loudly in her ears.

Jin looked up at her father. Her face was flushed and she was breathless from her memory. "What?"

Sano shook his head angrily and pushed past her, out the gate. He paused as he passed her. "He is Saitou Hajime's _son, _Jin, I thought you honored me more than that."

She whirled around. "Who told you?" she demanded. For a split second she thought that Yuka might have betrayed her, but quickly realized it was impossible.

"No had to _tell_ me Jin. With the way you and that bastard have been parading around town, anyone could have—"

"Don't call him that!" Jin cried. "You don't know anything about him!" Jin was furious.

"I know that he's almost twice your age and that he's Hajime Saitou's son," Sano shot back.

"He is not _twice my age!_" Jin raged. "He's just eight years older—not that it's any of your business, _father!_" the last word Jin had shouted in a contemptuous sneer. She raced up the steps and flung open the door, throwing herself inside and leaving her father befuddled by the gate.

Megumi came in from the kitchen to see what the racket was about. Jin wasn't crying; rather, she looked positively livid.

"Why does he have to be like that?" Jin cried, clutching her mother's apron in fury. "Why does he—" her words were lost in anger.

"Jin, honey, your father is just worried about you," Megumi comforted sympathetically.

"Well he has no reason to be," Jin replied stoutly, sitting up properly and releasing Megumi.

Megumi sighed. "Please just try to make this right with him. He loves you, Jin."

"I…know." There was a fleeting smile on the young woman's face and then she went down the hall to her room.

Sano came in soon after, squeezing Megumi's shoulders with affection.

"All she wants is your approval. Can't you give her that?" Megumi asked her husband desperately, leading him to a corner of the room where they sat down. "You don't even have to like the guy, _or_ his family."

"I'm not mad because he's Saitou's son," Sano replied shortly, contrary to what he had said to his daughter.

"Well, why then?" It was not Megumi who spoke, but Jin, who had been listening from the hall. "Why won't you let me be with the man I love?" she asked more clearly.

Sano raked a hand through his hair. How had he ended up with a daughter this frustrating?

"It's because you _don't_ really love him, Jin. You get a thrill from being with an older man—a man whom your father hates. You've created your own little Romeo and Juliet story, haven't you? And once that's gone, you'll only end up getting hurt."

Jin's brown eyes, so similar to those of her father, burned in anger. "You're wrong—it's Saburo I love. _Him._ It's not because he's older or because you hate his father—his _father, _daddy, _Saburo is not his father!_ I love him!" She burst into tears and her voice grew softer. "Can't you see that?" she choked out. "Can't you accept it?"

"No, I can't," Sano replied, turning away from his heart-broken daughter. "You have a lot of growing up to do, little miss."

Jin raised her tear-streaked face to him. "So do you," she answered before she fled the room.

Megumi let out a sigh, knowing Sano was trying very hard not to let his temper get the best of him. She put a hand on his shoulder, hoping to calm him.

"I just want her to make the right choice. Is that so wrong?"

Megumi smiled. "I should tell you something."

Sano spun around. "What?"

Megumi laughed. "Oh, just a little story."

Sano eyed her skeptically. "Tell me."

She laughed again, and the sound was enticing to Sano's ears. He leaned forward, brushing his lips against her ear. "Tell me…" he whispered.

"There once was…well, an older woman. Past the normal age for marriage, in any case. She found herself desperately in love with a man who was just a few years younger than her. She knew it was love, but she heard many people gossiping and saying she was only with the man because it made her feel young and pretty again."

Understanding dawned on Sano. "People…said that? About us?"

Megumi nodded and continued. "The woman knew these things simply weren't true. She loved her man for what he was. Kind, thoughtful at times, very sexy and with a bit of an attitude problem. They loved each other very much, but many people said that the woman would be unsatisfied or that the man would become bored and find a younger, prettier girl. But guess what?"

Sano seemed conflicted to say anything in return.

"None of that ever happened. The two lovers promised to stay with one another for the rest of their lives." Megumi leaned forward, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to Sano's. "And they did."

There were a few moments of silence after Megumi's story had ended.

"Sano?" she said after a while.

"Yes," he replied slowly.

"You do know what I was trying to tell you, don't you?" Megumi wondered.

"Yes," Sano replied.

Megumi bit her lip. "And?"

Sano shifted. "And I have to go talk to our daughter."

Megumi smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. They kissed like man and wife, like lovers of any age. They kissed like nothing mattered at all.

Megumi pulled away slowly, a twinkle in her cinnamon eye. "That's my boy."

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Yes, I promise, this is the end. And no, I'm not joking, this is actually a one-shot. Sorry. But I think you can work out what'll happen next. And for those of you who were awaiting a gleeful Saitou vs. Sano battle of wits, I'm sorry I can't come through with that. Eventually, maybe I'll deal with it, but I'm much more interested in Sagara family happiness.

Thanks for reading, and as always, please review.


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